My birthday is coming up next week.
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China, you ask? Well, there is something I gotta tell you that I just don’t know how to say. The birthday? It’s a BIG ONE.
I’ve never really talked about my age because, well, it didn’t seem relevant. And it isn’t, except for the fact that I’ve seen the design pendulum swing back and forth lots of times in my years, that and the fact that I remember black-and-white television and .25 a gallon gasoline.
You know, out here in blogland you can conceal a lot. When I share my photos, it’s always subject matter that I want you to see – and none that I don’t. My house can be gorgeous and spotless through the lens of my camera, but behind me can be a mess on the counter or a pile of dishes in my sink. This virtual world is a bit like a fairy tale, and those of us who blog can control our own ‘ever-afters’.
But, aside from hiding my dirty dishes, I don’t want to be virtual. I want to be real. I want to be real kind… real creative… real talented… real industrious. I want to always do my best and be my best. So that’s why I’m baring it all today.
OK. Here’s the confession. Next Tuesday I’ll be 60. *ouch*. I’m a boomer. There. I said it. Let’s hear it for boomers.
It’s a funny thing though… in my mind I’m still 25. And part of me wants others to see me that way too. In blogland, I don’t want to be known as ‘old’ or ‘elderly’ (heaven forbid!). I want my words and my ideas to be valuable to readers of all ages. And maybe the wisdom that just comes with years can be helpful too.
Here’s a quote from the famed cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, – Owning My Age:
“Every 10 years, I think we all need a reboot. At 59, I’m on the verge of another. I will always be 17 in my head, but I don’t want that sensibility to dominate my every day. Today I feel more mortal than I did when I was 20, but I still ask the same question: What does it all mean?
I am always looking for meaning in what I do – trying to understand how cello playing fits into the world. I love playing, and want to play well and stay in great shape as long as I possibly can.
For me, defining moments are those when I feel I am entirely present, experiencing a situation with my whole being rather than, say, just from a professional perspective. That realization deepens and becomes clearer with time. When you’re young, it’s easier to feel conflicted about life. Wholeness comes gradually.” – Yo-Yo Ma in AARP magazine, August/Sept. 2015
I think I could help Yo-Yo with finding the meaning of life, which for me is found in Jesus Christ alone. But there is some wisdom in what he says here. I particularly like this sentence: Wholeness comes gradually.
Yes, yes, it does. While my youth may be gone, I think I posses something even more valuable. A certain wisdom that comes only after living life for a number of years. A certain ability and desire to cherish moments in time. A gratefulness for the simple gift of another day. And a desire to finish well. To make every moment count – to live in the present and worry less about tomorrow.
Yep, I’m a Boomer. And proud to be one.
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2015
